International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 05 Issue: 07 | July 2018 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 A Study on Attitude of Undergraduate Engineering Students in Kerala towards Startups Aravind D1, Pradeep M2, Dr. Satish K P3 1M.Tech Student, Dept. of Production Engineering, GEC Thrissur, Thrissur, Kerala, India 2PhD Research Scholar, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, GEC Thrissur, Thrissur, Kerala, India 3Professor, Dept. of Production Engineering, GEC Thrissur, Thrissur, Kerala, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - In today’s competitive world entrepreneurship is country’s competitiveness if they introduce new products or gaining much importance as it can cope up the current crisis services. To meet this need, colleges of engineering are of unemployment rates. Entrepreneurship is an important increasingly developing entrepreneurship courses (Nathalie source of innovative activities and job opportunities and thus Duval-Couetil, Teri Reed-Rhoads, and Shiva Haghighi.2011). has an important impact on economic development. Govt policies has changed, they are withdrawing their role from an Kerala, a 100% literate state, has the highest rate of employer and they promote educated people to become an educated unemployed in the country with over 40 lakh employer or entrepreneur. As technology giants engineering unemployed youth on the live register of Employment students have more ability to think innovatively. KSUM is the exchanges. This comprises about 20 lakh graduates and nodal agency of government of Kerala in supporting otherwise technically qualified (Chandrasekar et al). The Entrepreneurship. IEDC’s functioning in colleges serve as a educated and technically qualified youth are migrating for platform for idea development. Entrepreneurship, based on want of jobs and sufficient employment opportunities. The innovations has immense growth potential for the regional abundance of capital and manpower are not being tapped economy of Kerala. The government and other service adequately. Keralites are reluctant to invest in economically organizations conduct special programs namely productive activities even though there is a surfeit of techno- Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) mainly for the economic talent. The factors contributing to this state of purpose of identifying and developing potential affairs may range from labor market rigidities to the absence entrepreneurs.. Entrepreneurship education programs create of a favorable investment climate and has to lead to a self-employment, reduction of unemployment, high job generation of entrepreneurship been lost. Kerala’s GDP per satisfaction and enhance life status. Various policies and capita is about average for India, but its economic rate has schemes are offered by government organizations in order to been considerably slower. Unemployment rate in Kerala is promote entrepreneurship among youth. But, the number of the one with problem and this forced many Keralites to leave students get involved in startups seems less. Here, a study is and look greener pastures in India or abroad. conducted to analyze the attitude of engineering students to involve in campus startups. Study focused on IEDC student The crisis of unemployment can be downsized by members from various engineering colleges in Kerala. entrepreneurship promotion as they provide employment for themselves as well as create job for others. Campus Key Words: Entrepreneurship, Campus Startup, startups are the starting phase towards entrepreneurship. Entrepreneur, Engineering students, Regression To a greater extent entrepreneurs are made through education and training. The right type of entrepreneurial 1. INTRODUCTION training helps to identify and develop the natural, inherent and potential virtues of the human beings which are lying Entrepreneurs are the driving forces behind any economy. dormant. Hence it was widely accepted that They create large corporations out of backyard enterprises. entrepreneurship could be developed through well To be a successful Entrepreneur it requires practicing as a conceived and well integrated entrepreneurial training manager by acquiring various skills and efforts in learning to programs. understand a business. Entrepreneurship is the future of the modern society. It reflects a ray of hope for the unemployed Our Government policies has changed, they are to earn a living and maintain a dignified life and also for the withdrawing their role from an employer and they promote economic development of the country. educated people to become an employer or entrepreneur. Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is the nodal agency of Students who are able to identify opportunities, Government of Kerala for promoting entrepreneurship understand market forces, commercialize new products, development and incubation activities in Kerala. KSUM offer communicate, and lead teams, in addition to having strong support to startup entrepreneurs to implement their science and technical skills, are likely to have more value in innovative ideas from ideation stage. KSUM will also provide the marketplace for jobs.. They can also contribute to a mentoring, infrastructure facilities, entrepreneurship © 2018, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.211 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 2285 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 05 Issue: 07 | July 2018 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 development programmes, seed fund assistance and who do not have such intention. Entrepreneurial education exposure programmes. may concentrate on modification of attitudes and development of basic skills to encourage entrepreneurship Still when comparing with other states, Kerala has less for creating an economically strong country (Nurdan progress in the field of entrepreneurship. The attitude of Çolakoğlu and İzlem Gözükara 2016). Entrepreneurial skills students to be an entrepreneur is being important, this and activities can be spurred through entrepreneurship paper aims to study the influence of relevant factors upon education and training (Badariah Hj Din, Abdul Rahim attitude of undergraduate engineering students in Kerala Anuar and Mariana Usman, 2015; Mohd Sufian Abdul Karim towards startups. 2016) 2. LITERATURE REVIEW The best way to success is to have more sharing session with successful entrepreneurs especially alumni Past literatures on Entrepreneurship development was because with their knowledge sharing and challenges, reviewed in order to get an idea on the factors influencing this will pave way and give much ideas on when, what Entrepreneurship growth. and how to overcome challenges (Seun Azeez Olugbola, 2017). Turker and Selcuk (2008) pointed out that entrepreneurial intention was taken as a function of The studies by Laura Brancu et al., 2012; Lutfiah Natrah educational, relational, and structural supports. Abbas ,2013; Pratheesh Pretheeba, 2014; Ezekiel Obembe, Oluyinka Otesile and Idy Ukpong ,2014; Salwah Che Mat et Kerala, a 100% literate state, has the highest rate of al., 2015; gave an idea on the intention of engineering educated unemployed in the country with over 40 lakh students towards entrepreneurship. unemployed youth on the live register of Employment exchanges. Kerala has a high per capita rate of consumption, 3. PROPOSED HYPOTHESIS but it imports a major share of its requirements including food (Chandrasekar et al). The following hypothesis will be tested in this research: N.K. Nikhil, Varghese Joy and Dr. Santha S (2015) in their H1: There is a significant and positive relationship between research revealed that, in Kerala, majority of the start-ups support from IEDC’s and attitude of students towards were incorporated by male dominance showing high startups gender disparity, incorporations were done in corporate form of which majority were registered to female. It took H2: There is a significant relationship between support from nearly one year for companies to come up with a feasible Govt. organizations and attitude of students towards product market fit, though modern source of favourable startups funding schemes were available. Major problem faced by the start-ups are lack of Return Over Time and Fund H3: There is a significant effect between the effect of barrier Deployed ,Poor Mentoring, Poor Product Market Fit with factors and attitude of students to involve in startups least problems with funding and Infrastructure. 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Engineering students students have positive way of thinking to become entrepreneurs as their career choice. The A questionnaire survey methodology was adopted for this factors that contribute most to entrepreneurship as a career research and was carried out at engineering colleges in choice are Locus of Control Need for Achievement, Kerala. Instrumental Readiness and Subjective Norms (Salwah Che 4.1 Research Instrument Mat, Siti Mistima Maat and Norhatta Mohd 2015). A self-administered structured instrument was Some of the reasons for lack of entrepreneurship in developed based on the literature review carried out . The Kerala are due to: Preoccupation with redistribution, constructs were included from the past studies on aversion for taking risks and preference for secure entrepreneurship development and also by consulting with employment, lack of confidence to innovate, poor self- academicians, IEDC Nodal officers and startup persons.